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Wow! It’s already Week 8 in the SEC. Saturday’s slate features what amounts to an SEC West elimination game between No. 15 Texas A&M and No. 24 Ole Miss, while No. 5 LSU — the conference’s lone unbeaten team — gets a visit from Western Kentucky. Plus, Tennessee travels to Tuscaloosa to face No. 8 Alabama in their traditional rivalry game.
Here’s what the league’s coaches had to say about their teams’ respective games this weekend:
Nick Saban, Alabama: “I know we have a lot of competitors on our team that were not satisfied with that performance and we have tried to get better,” Saban said in reference to the Crimson Tide’s 43-37 loss to Ole Miss on Sept. 19. “But my point of emphasis is, ‘Where are we now? What do we need to do to get better?'”
Bret Bielema, Arkansas: “It’s just one of those things,” Bielema said of the Razorbacks’ rivalry with Auburn, the Hogs’ opponent on Saturday. “It’s important for the fans and it’s important for us. They played for a national championship two years ago. To see where we’ve come in that amount of time is an intriguing thing for us and the program, I think.”
Gus Malzahn, Auburn: “Road games in the SEC are hard to come by,” said Malzahn, whose Tigers won 30-27 at Kentucky last week and visit Fayetteville on Saturday. “Any time you get a road win, it will definitely give you confidence the next time you are on the road. We are going to try and take all of that to help us moving forward.”
Mark Stoops, Kentucky: “Very good football team that’s used to winning a bunch of games, led by an incredible quarterback who’s got great leadership skills,” Stoops said of Dak Prescott and Mississippi State, which hosts the Wildcats on Saturday night. “Very talented, can run, is throwing the ball exceptionally well this year. A good, experienced football team.”
Les Miles, LSU: “This is a very good football team,” Miles said of Western Kentucky. “All you have to do is watch film … (Brandon) Doughty, every bit an SEC quarterback. Big, talented, strong, smart quarterback. Big arm. Again, enough (that if) you watch the film, he’ll get your attention.”
Dan Mullen, Mississippi State: “They are our locked opponent across divisions and we play them every year, and I think that is what it is,” Mullen said of Kentucky. I think they are a team that are trying to do what we did last year and are trying to get where we are, and they are not far from it.”
Gary Pinkel, Missouri: “If it’s all just about winning the SEC East for the next two weeks, most of these guys are just going to be out of it,” said Pinkel, whose Tigers will visit Vanderbilt on Saturday. “We certainly always want to win the SEC East. Those are our goals. Another part of that goal is to go to a bowl and win a bowl game. There’s a lot out there, starting with Saturday’s visit to Vanderbilt.”
Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss: “We know we’re the best team in the land. I have no doubt about that,” Freeze said. “We have the players and the coaches. As long as everyone believes in that, then we’re tough to stop.”
Butch Jones, Tennessee: “They’re playing the same way they played. They just have taken care of the football better, and they’re playing with a lot of confidence right now,” Jones said of Alabama.
Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M: “Chad Kelly is a big, strong guy with a great arm, live arm,” Sumlin said of Ole Miss’ starting QB. “Their perimeter guys are fabulous. They have exceptional talent. They had a couple 70-point games early in the year that drives that average up, but there’s no doubt there are quality receivers across the board.”
Derek Mason, Vanderbilt: “There is no magic elixir,” said Mason. “We just know right now between the penalties and the turnovers that this football team can’t continue to play that type of football and expect to win.”
Stan Chrapowicki is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football, Alabama and Auburn.
